Parental Reviews Of Non-Parental Books

Eleanor and Park

Title:Eleanor and ParkAuthor: Rainbow RowellPublisher: St. Martin’s GriffinNumber of Pages: 336Advertised Age Level: not specified, Young Adult

Age and Grade of Main Character(s): 16 years

Language: includes profanity, limited use of the “f” wordSex: kissing, vague references to pettingDrug/Alcohol Use: parental drinking and alcoholism, some kids drink beer, references to smoking potViolence: main character is subjected to physical abuse, main character gets into a fightSocial Issues: bullying, child abuse, first loveSuggested Movie Grade: PG-13

Premise

Eleanor is a social outcast at school from the moment she first steps on the bus and no one will share a seat with her. Thankfully, Park, a guy who faces his own social issues, feels pity and moves over to make room. Over the course of a school year, Eleanor and Park move from never speaking to each other to a tentative friendship and finally an overwhelming true love.

But many problems stand in their way. Eleanor’s home life is a living hell. Her hapless mother has married an abusive, alcoholic man who inflicts physical, mental, and emotional abuse on Eleanor, her younger brothers and sister and her mother. She fears for her safety if he were to ever learn that she has a boyfriend. Park’s father is judgmental and struggles to accept a son who prefers comic books and alternative music to sports and driving. Eleanor suffers endless bullying at school for being different, and even Park’s kind-hearted mother finds it hard to accept a girl who is so prickly and awkward.

Even as Park and Eleanor grow to love each other, Eleanor’s home life becomes more perilous.

Potential Points of Concern

Eleanor is bullied by other girls who play very mean and cruel tricks on her. They flush her clothes down the toilet during gym class and tape feminine pads to her locker in a play on her nickname “Big Red” which she is called because of her red hair and large chest.

Eleanor’s stepfather is physically, emotionally and mentally abusive to everyone in the family. He writes obscene things on her school books, and it is implied that he has intentions to sexually abuse Eleanor. She has been so emotionally damaged by this situation that she feels no one could ever think well of her.

Eleanor’s real father is a user who wants nothing to do with his children unless he needs them for something. Her mother is a helpless victim who puts up with her husband’s abuse and allows him to abuse her children.

Eleanor lives in abject poverty. She is forced to brush her teeth at school using salt and her finger because she doesn’t have a toothbrush.

Park kicks a boy in the face when he makes fun of Eleanor. The boy then punches Park, who gets suspended for fighting.

Parks father does not approve when Park begins wearing black eyeliner. Some people suggest that Park may be gay, but he isn’t.

Park and Eleanor kiss, and vague references are made to make-out sessions that involve petting. Nothing is graphically described.

Park and Eleanor have a vague conversation about having sex but they do not.

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3 thoughts on “Eleanor and Park”

I am not sure it would get a PG-13 rating. PG-13 would not allow the word c*** (word used for woman’s private part), or idioms like you’re a s***, you smell like c** (sperm)*. PG-13 does not allow the f word 60 times in a movie in addition to p*****. It also would not allow the idiom “s*** me o**.” The book is a great book, but I do think parents need to be aware of the idioms used and the PG-13 label is misleading. If this book were made into a movie exactly as written, it would be rated R due to language. The story itself is very PG-13 and the characters only engage in PG-13 level romantic relationships, but the idioms are harsh, vulgar, and misogynistic. Parents need to be fully aware and make the decision for their child’s maturity level.

Thank you for your input. I stand by my PG-13 rating despite the profanity. I think the profanity is used in context – it is not gratuitously thrown about for no reason to the story. As such, I believe a movie adaptation of this book – assuming they stuck to the book as written – would receive a PG-13 rating.

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But I’m Too Busy to Read Everything

Yesterday at the bookstore, my middle-school-aged daughter chose a book meant to be read by a high-school-aged person. She's mature enough to handle the advanced reading level. But she's not mature enough to handle the advanced sex, language, and social issues that the book might contain. I told her I would need to preview the book before I'd allow her to read it.

And I wished for a website that would lead me in the right direction. Some place that might offer a parent's opinion on the age appropriateness of Young Adult titles.

There may be many sites out there that offer such information. In which case, one more opinion can't hurt, right? But if there aren't easily found book review sites like this one, I hope it helps other parents who are too busy to read everything but don't feel comfortable with letting their child read something without at least an idea of what might be between the front and back covers.

This site is not a review site. My opinion about the quality of the story or writing will not be shared here. Rather, this site attempts to summarize issues of concern for parents and indicate if and how the book in question handles them. Based on my own experience, I offer a suggested age of appropriateness at the end of each entry, however this is my opinion alone and has no support from the writers or publishers of the titles reviewed.

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